Rear Admiral Maxwell Stafford (Dave) has long been one of the most reliable, steady, and influential leaders within Bravo Fleet, and his continued service as Bravo Fleet Chief of Staff stands as a cornerstone of the organization’s success. Across his tenure, Dave has shaped the Office of the Chief of Staff into an exceptionally efficient and precise operation, ensuring that the essential administrative heartbeat of Bravo Fleet never falters. The role he fills is not one defined by large public projects or flashy announcements. Instead, it is defined by a constant rhythm of work that touches every single member in some way. Awards, promotions, competitions, rosters, ribbons, and approvals all pass through the systems he manages and the standards he upholds. It is a role that demands total consistency, fairness, diligence, and clarity, and Dave has not only met that demand but elevated it.

What distinguishes Dave’s leadership at this stage is not simply his mastery of the tasks the office requires, but how deeply he has made the role his own. The confidence and decisiveness with which he now steers OCS reflects an intimate understanding of its importance to the fleet. He has built, trained, and mentored a team that mirrors his professionalism, ensuring that the quality of the department does not rely solely on himself but is reinforced by the people he has developed. Under his guidance, thousands of nominations have been processed smoothly and accurately, often under time-sensitive or high-volume circumstances that would strain a less experienced hand. Dave’s ability to maintain standards, deliver consistency, and keep the administrative flow of Bravo Fleet running smoothly cannot be overstated.

His influence, however, extends well beyond his formal duties. As a member of Bravo Fleet Command and the Bravo Fleet Senior Staff, Dave is a calm, thoughtful, and perceptive voice in discussions that shape the direction of the organization. He contributes significantly to planning, policy decisions, Fleet Action infrastructure, and the long-term health and stability of Bravo Fleet. He provides perspective backed by years of experience, and he offers input rooted in both fairness and practicality. His presence in leadership is not only valued but relied upon.

Even with these responsibilities, Dave has continued to be an active participant in Bravo Fleet’s offerings, contributing as a writer, organizer, and engaged member of the community. His record of activity underscores that he does not simply lead Bravo Fleet from an administrative height; he takes part in the same experiences he works so hard to facilitate for others. Since his promotion to Rear Admiral on December 25, 2023, Dave has continued to demonstrate the active engagement expected of a senior flag officer. He has organized 12 competitions and entered 14, contributing to the fleet not only through leadership but through consistent participation. Along the way, he has earned 324 Service Ribbons, the Fiction Writing Program Badge, four Labyrinth Challenge Coins, and three Nightfall Challenge Coins, each reflecting his commitment to being a part of the fleet community he helps manage.

Dave has now served in the Office of the Chief of Staff for almost four years, and in his time as Chief of Staff, he has become one of the defining figures of Bravo Fleet’s modern era. The organization depends daily on the systems he maintains, the standards he enforces, and the judgment he exercises. His impact is broad, deep, and lasting, and he embodies the professionalism, dedication, and reliability expected at the highest levels of Bravo Fleet. His sustained excellence in the Chief of Staff office has been recognized with two of Bravo Fleet’s highest honors: the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor and the Rachel Garrett Order of Heroism. These awards acknowledge both the breadth and the impact of his contributions, underscoring the trust placed in his judgment and the respect he has earned across the organization over the past few years.

For his continual excellence, his leadership across the fleet, and his unwavering stewardship of the Office of the Chief of Staff, it is my honor to promote Rear Admiral Maxwell Stafford to the rank of Vice Admiral. Congratulations!

Since earning a Battlefield Promotion in July of 2022 during the Sundered Wings Fleet Action, Commodore Maxwell Stafford (Dave) has continued to be a pillar of Bravo Fleet, primarily in his position as Bravo Fleet Chief of Staff.

As mentioned in his Jonathan Archer Order of Merit he earned in January of 2023, Dave’s job as Chief of Staff is one of a daily grind. There aren’t many big, flashy projects that the membership can see come out of the Office of the Chief of Staff. The job is primarily predicated on making sure that the trains run on time, as it were, on a nearly daily basis. A lot of what Dave has continued to do as Chief of Staff was summarized in his Fleet Captain promotion and doesn’t need to be exhaustively replicated.

The largest difference between now and when Dave was awarded his Archer a year ago is that Dave has since really settled into his role of Chief of Staff and made it his own. The confidence and swiftness of his execution as Chief of Staff has become top tier, and his ability to interface with the rest of the fleet on nominations has been critical. Dave and the team he has built have seen thousands of ribbon, medal, and promotion nominations since July of 2022. These all get processed through OCS and Dave has some type of hands on each and every one of them. Lately his main project that he took on himself has been bringing on and mentoring new staff on the functionality and standards that his department holds itself to. But make no mistake that Dave is heavily involved in this day-to-day facilitation of nominations that comes through OCS, and no department branches out into the entire organization like the Office of the Chief of Staff does.

Added to his “normal” Chief of Staff duties, Dave also interacts with the rest of Bravo Fleet Command and the Bravo Fleet Senior Staff as a pillar and leader of our community. He is involved in all discussions, Fleet Action developments, and planning the direction of Bravo Fleet’s future. Added to his leadership, Dave has continued to be an active consumer of Bravo Fleet offerings having earned 3 Duty Ribbons, 176 Service Ribbons equaling approximately 44,000 words written, and earned 3 Challenge Coins each for the Sundered Wings, The Lost Fleet, and We Are the Borg Fleet Actions for a total of 9 competitions organized.

For continuing to be an exemplary leader in Bravo Fleet and his work as Bravo Fleet Chief of Staff over the past 18 months, I’m happy to promote Dave to the rank of Rear Admiral! Congratulations!

Because of how smooth the BFMS operates from the user side, it is sometimes hard to remember that every single promotion and award (down to each last Service Ribbon) is processed manually by the Office of the Chief of Staff to ensure that it is accurate. During the past eighteen months, the vast majority of that work has been done by Commdore Maxwell Stafford (Dave), especially considering that only the Chief of Staff can process ribbons during the unprecedented double fleet actions we had this year. Across the two fleet actions, there were 1,234 unique submissions for gaming and writing ribbons which resulted in 7,324 total ribbons, the vast majority of which Dave processed himself. This work is often invisible, and Dave runs a tight ship, thus keeping the trains running on time for Bravo Fleet, while still managing to get in his own activity alongside that. Dave is also an extremely valuable member of the Bravo Fleet Senior Staff, contributing well beyond his own duties to the growth and success of the organization.

For his excellent work over the past eighteen months, I am proud to endorse Commodore Maxwell Stafford for promotion to the rank of rear admiral. Congratulations, Admiral!

Battlefield promotion for Fleet Action III: Sundered Wings!

Since his last promotion in May of 2021, Dave has really jumped to an entirely new career in Bravo Fleet. His last promotion was largely the sum of his awesome job as a Task Force Commanding Officer. But since then he has moved up the latter of the Office of the Chief of Staff — first starting as a Staff Assistant, then Deputy, and now the presiding Chief of Staff since March 2022. In those positions, Dave has been killing it day in and day out.

The OCS is one of the few departments within the fleet that cannot necessarily be quantified. It rarely produces anything numerical in value aside from the approvals, there is very little project work to look at and say “Hmm, that looks great!”. Its a constant, daily job and as one former Chief of Staff put it… its where the sausage is made and how the trains arrive on time. Its a position that requires consistent dedication and is probably one of the few positions that directly impacts every other aspect of the fleet in some way. The Chief of Staff leads this endeavour, and Dave has been taking this role seriously, executes it to perfection, and has been carving out his own place within the position.

Under Dave, the OCS has been a model of execution. This Fleet Action proves it as Dave has meticulously been tracking (of course, behind the scenes!) every single activity ribbon that gets processed. Additional to that, every single competition, ribbon, award, and promotion that comes out of Bravo Fleet has passed through Dave’s hand either directly, or indirectly through his personally chosen staff. Dave does his due diligence on any matter he isn’t personally involved with or has direct experience with. He often reaches out not only to me, but to former Chiefs of Staff to get input. He’s always trying to grow the department, better his knowledge, and pass it on as much as he can.

I’m happy to submit Dave for this promotion to Fleet Captain! Well earned, and congratulations!